Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-17

W MOih, dIiu liC liON Ids Olic VI Vic DTStlI-
est places in the foothills. 1t is half mile
north of Penryn, and commands beauti-
full view of the lower foothills and broad
expanse of the Sacramento Valley. From
the porch of his cottage enc can plainly see
the dome of the State capitol, and with a
feld-glass one can easily make out the out
lines of the building.
Nearly the whole of his little ranch is
under cultivation. There is an alfalfa
patch and an assortment of peaches, plums,
Bartlett pears, nectarines, blackberries,
ETC., but the owners pride and the pride of
the neighborhood is his little grove of 100
orange trees. There is only one seeding
tree among the lot. There are four St.
Michaels, seven Navels, and the rest are
Mediterranean Sweets. Mr.. Norburg says
" the Mediterranean Sweet is the boss
variety for this county," if he is any Judge
His trees were all planted eight years ago
last March, and they have never been pro-
tected single season. When they were
put in the orchard they were one-year
buds on two-year stocks, and many of them
to-day measure eighteen inches around the
trunks, and they will average fourteen or
| fifteen feet in height. There is one large
tree whose branches spread out to cir
conference of fifty feet-a very respectable
orange tree for the "frigid regions of
Northern California" of which we read in
| the Los Angeles press. These orange trees
are planted twenty-one feet apart each
way, as are all the trees on Mr.. Norburg's
place, and the distance is not an inch too
great. For the first six years he had
peach trees planted between part of the
orange trees, but he found that the former
were greatly retarding the growth of the
more valuable trees, and two years ago he
cut the peaches out. He says he wishes he
had done it sooner.
Last year Mr.. Norburg picked $4,000
oranges, and made one of the finest exhib-
its at the Citrus Fair, taking the silver
medal for the second best exhibit of budded
oranges. This year he has some clusters
which would take premium anywhere.
One short limb holds thirteen Mediterra-
mean Sweets, not one of which is less than
ten inches in circumference another clus-
ter consists of eight large oranges all in G
bunch. There are oranges on other trees
which measure foot in circumference
and two or three good trees hold as many
as 500 oranges. Some of the fruit has
cracked this season, probably owing to q
lack of water, while the Bear river canal
was undergoing repairs, and when they
most needed it; but Mr.. Norburg estimates
that he will pick at least 10000 oranges "a
low estimate), and he has already contract.
ed to sell them, delivered loose at the ship.
ping house, for $25 thousand.
These 100 orange trees cover tritle less
than one acre of land. Now what is the
matter with Placer county land when il
will bring in return of $3.50 an acre, OF
even one-half of that sum? If an acre Of
land will produce 12@ per cent. on $1,000
not for one year only, but for 4 succession
of years-it comes pretty near being worth
that amount, allowing of course for the
cost of cultivation. No one can say that
this is an exceptional location. We have
oranges successfully grown at Auburn, al
Newcastle, at Ophir, all along the road tC
Lincoln, at Sheridan, at Roseville, at Rock
lin and at Pine. Their location on ranch
must be selected, but in general they viii
thrive from the American to the Beal
river and from Sacramento to the snow
line.-Placer Republican.
why Cultivation Increases the Rainfall
At an agricultural fair recently held il
Nebraska, almost III the center of wha
used to be set down on the maps as the
"Great American Desert" General Nor
row delivered an address in which he un
dertook to account for the large increase il
the annual rainfall His theory will in
terest California farmers, and we reproduce
it: | have always thought that there wa
an abundance of moisture in the clouds o
this interior section, but that conditions ia
yorable to its precipitation in the form o
rain and dew were wanting. The eartl
and the sky are reciprocal in their rela
tions. They give and take from each other
A parched desert, having nothing to Civ,
in return, receives no moisture from tn,
passing clouds. For countless ages thest
prairies have been scorched by fires, pelteC
by storms of rain and hail and trampleC
upon by innumerable herds of wild ami
mails. The effect of this has been to pacl
the earth until it has become as compac
as a rock The forcing or beating power
of rain or hail is far greater than the or
binary observer comprehends. When the
rain falls on a primitive soil the larger
part of it runs off in torrents and finds it.
way to the sea. The baked, storm-beater
and trampled earth, like sick man, re
fuses its nourishment. Beyond doubt thi.
is the reason why you have so many physi
cal proofs around you of enormous devasta
tons committed by running water. Wher
the land is titled this will cease. Guilt
waited ground absorbs a large portion Of
the water that falls upon it, and retains il
like sponge. 1t thus becomes reser
yoir of moisture for the nourishment Of
crops in seasons of drought. The turning
over of the soil in large tracts of country
presents to the atmosphere vast absorb.
ing surface. The soil gives this absorbed
moisture back to the atmosphere by evap
Grafton. Thus year by year, as the cult
walton of the soil is extended, more of the
rain that falls is absorbed, to be given of
by evaporation or to remain in store tC
nourish plants and grasses"